


Protego Club [+podfic]

by picascribit



Series: Scorbus Arc [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Acceptance, Asexual Character, Belonging, Bisexual Female Character, Bisexual Male Character, Black Character(s), Canon Compliant, Deaf Character, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gay Male Character, Harry Potter Next Generation, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, Help I gave myself feels, Jewish Character, LGBTQ Themes, Lesbian Character, M/M, Makeover, Nonbinary Character, POV Bisexual Character, Pansexual Character, Podfic, Podfic Length: 30-45 Minutes, Post-Canon, Room of Requirement, Safe Spaces, Sikh Character, Trans Female Character, clubs, group hug, queer teens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-08-22 23:55:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8305979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/picascribit/pseuds/picascribit
Summary: It was Albus's turn. Scorpius squeezed his damp hand in encouragement. He stood up, looking self-conscious and defensive."Er - my name is Albus Potter. I'm gay. My pronouns are he/him, I guess." He belatedly remembered to sign the words for his cousin's benefit, moving his hands awkwardly.He sat back down, face red, as everyone chanted, "Hi, Albus!"Scorpius was last. He stood up. This was not so bad, coming out in front of fewer than a dozen people. It had been much scarier to stand on the Slytherin table the week before and declare Albus his boyfriend in front of the whole school. Still, he could not help feeling a little nervous."Hi. Dictatus. My name is Scorpius Malfoy. I'm bisexual. My pronouns are he/him. And - um - I just wanted to say, thanks for inviting us."





	

**Author's Note:**

> Yann Fredericks is nonbinary in homage to [James Le Lacheur](https://twitter.com/JamesLeLacheur), who played the character (and was Scorpius's understudy) in the original cast of _Harry Potter and the Cursed Child_ , and who is nonbinary in real life.
> 
> ETA: OMG she read it! And [tweeted about it](https://twitter.com/JamesLeLacheur/status/788426326101389312)! Thanks, James!
> 
>  **Podfic**  
>  **Duration:** 35 min 23 sec  
>  **Size:** 23.7 MB  
>  **Download:** [mp3 @ Mediafire](http://www.mediafire.com/file/oeknhaehpcr9v4o/Protego_Club.mp3)  
> 

"So, are we going, or not?" Scorpius Malfoy asked as he and Albus Potter left the Great Hall after Sunday lunch. "I mean,  _I'm_  going, but have you thought anymore about it?" He gave his boyfriend a hopeful look.

Albus scowled and hunched his shoulders. "I still don't see why you'd want to. No one at this school ever gave a kneazle's fart about us before now."

"Happy as I am with my one excellent friend," said Scorpius, squeezing his hand, "it doesn't mean I wouldn't like to have one or two more."

"I dunno," said Albus with a reluctant smile. "If you had more friends, you might realise I'm not anything special."

Scorpius stopped in his tracks, turning to face Albus. Ignoring the stream of students passing them, he kissed his boyfriend on the nose.

"Don't be silly."

Albus took Scorpius's other hand in his and laced their fingers together, resting his forehead against Scorpius's. "We both know you're the silly one in this relationship."

"Right you are," said Scorpius fondly. "Please come with me? What do we have to lose by going once?"

Albus sighed. "Nothing, I guess. All right. I'll go this once, because I love you, but I won't promise any more than that."

Scorpius grinned as a spark of warmth bloomed in his chest, as it always did when Albus said he loved him. "I'll try not to use my power over you for evil."

Hand in hand, they made their way up the great staircase to the seventh floor. They were met at the top of the stairs by Kavi Singh, a Hufflepuff boy who wore a neatly-wrapped turban.

He greeted them with a broad smile. "I'm so glad you both decided to come."

"Thanks for inviting us," said Scorpius.

"It's right this way," said Singh, beckoning them down the lefthand corridor.

Scorpius squeezed Albus's hand a little tighter and followed, heart speeding up.

They stopped at a moth-eaten tapestry featuring several dancing trolls. Scorpius looked around in confusion. There was no one else there, and no door along this part of the corridor.

"Is this it?" he asked nervously.

He glanced at Albus, who wore a suspicious expression, and had his free hand in his pocket, probably gripping his wand, prepared for this to all turn out to be some sort of nasty joke. With Albus holding his right hand, there was no casual way for Scorpius to reach for his own wand.

"This part may sound a bit strange," Singh said apologetically, "but bear with me for a moment. You have to walk back and forth in front of this bit of wall, thinking  _very hard_  about a safe space for queer students."

"What?" frowned Albus, his scowl of suspicion growing deeper.

Scorpius tugged at his hand. "What've we got to lose, remember?"

"All right," grumbled Albus, "but if we end up making fools of ourselves ..."

"... then how is that any different from usual?" Scorpius finished for him, raising his eyebrows.

"Fine," said Albus, rolling his eyes.

As they marched up and down the corridor, Scorpius thought hard about a safe and quiet place where he could be with Albus, free of judgement and gossip and intrusive questions about their relationship.

On their third pass in front of the wall, they both halted in their tracks, amazed, as an arched doorway with a wooden door appeared out of nowhere. The door was decorated with curlicues of iron in the shape of a heart, and in the middle of it was tacked a small rainbow flag.

Realisation dawned on Scorpius. His eyes grew wide with excitement. "This is it, isn't it? The Room of Requirement? The room where Dumbledore's Army mustered to take back Hogwarts from Voldemort?"

Singh nodded. "And now it's ours."

Opening the door, he waved them through. Inside was a cozy room containing a circle of plush sofas and chairs, on which sat several students of a variety of ages and houses, chatting comfortably. A fire crackled merrily in the hearth, and the walls were hung with colourful banners and posters displaying positive messages.

A round-faced man greeted them at the door, beaming.

"Welcome to Protego Club, lads!"

"Professor Longbottom?" said Albus, bewildered by the presence of his godfather.

The round-faced man smiled warmly. "I'm the club's staff advisor. Come in. Make yourselves at home."

Scorpius and Albus hesitated, looking around.

A glad cry greeted them from across the room, and a tall black girl with dark red natural hair bounded toward them, grinning. Albus's cousin, Roxanne Weasley. She halted in front of Albus and began moving her hands rapidly. Looking self-conscious, Albus hesitantly moved his own hands in reply.

Scorpius watched with interest. He knew Albus's cousin was deaf, but he had never seen the two of them interact before. The idea of being able to talk silently with one's hands fascinated him. Were there signed spells, too? he wondered. There must be, for someone like Roxanne to be able to perform magic. Scorpius made a mental note to ask Albus to teach him some sign language later.

Roxanne led them over to one of the sofas and gestured for them to sit.

"Now that we're all here, we can get started," said Singh, joining the circle. " _Dictatus_."

He swept his wand in an arc over his head, leaving a wide ribbon in its wake. When he spoke again, his words marched across the length of the ribbon in bold, easy-to-read lettering.

"Since we're welcoming new members today, I'll explain a little bit about how things work in Protego Club," Singh said. "We use the Dictation Charm because not all of us are fluent in sign language." Singh and Roxanne exchanged a grin of acknowledgement.

"At the start of each meeting," he continued, "we go around the circle, saying our names, and practicing coming out to each other. This is to help us and each other get more comfortable with sharing our identities. I want to remind everyone that this is a judgement-free zone, and if someone wants to use different labels today than they've used in the past, that's no one's business but their own. We leave each other room to grow and figure things out.

"Since I'm club president, I'll start. My name is Kavi Singh, and I'm gay and asexual. My pronouns are he/him."

" _Hi, Kavi!_ " chorused the rest of the club.

He sat down, and the short, light-skinned, freckled boy beside him stood up.

" _Dictatus_. I'm Connor O'Mannan, I'm pansexual, and I'm Kavi's boyfriend. My pronouns are also he/him." He sat down, taking Singh's hand, as the rest of the club greeted him by name.

Scorpius nudged Albus. "Guess you wouldn't've had much luck there, after all," he teased.

Albus had considered asking O'Mannan out, only two weeks past, before Scorpius had confessed his own feelings.

"Shut it, you," mumbled Albus, cheeks reddening. "I got what I wanted, didn't I?"

Scorpius grinned and nestled closer against his side, but he sat up straight again when the next person stood up. She did not bother with the Dictation Charm. Her hands moved as fluidly as her speech.

"My name is Olivia Huang, and I'm bisexual. My pronouns are she/her."

" _Hi, Olivia!_ " the other voices chorused.

Scorpius raised his eyebrows and exchanged a look with Albus. Huang had been dating their roommate, Helias Zabini, for several months. In the week since Scorpius and Albus had come out to the whole school, Zabini had said nothing about his girlfriend being queer, too.

The next to introduce himself was a boy who could not have been older than twelve. " _Dictatus_. My name is Toby Edwards, and I'm trans. Not sure about the whole sexuality thing yet. My pronouns are he/him."

" _Hi, Toby!_ "

After Edwards came a pair of Gryffindors from Scorpius and Albus's own year.

" _Dictatus_. My name is Yann Fredericks, and I'm nonbinary and pansexual. My pronouns are they/them, or she/her."

" _Hi, Yann!_ "

" _Dictatus_. My name is Polly Chapman, and I'm not sure what I am yet, but since I'm dating someone nonbinary, 'straight' doesn't really seem to apply." She and Fredericks exchanged fond smiles. "My pronouns are she/her."

" _Hi, Polly!_ "

A pair of fourth year girls bounced up from their seats, holding hands.

" _Dictatus!_  We're Morgana Rosier and Keshet Goldstein, and we're LESBIANS!" they declared in unison. "Our pronouns are she/her!"

"I'm also trans," added Goldstein, before she and her girlfriend collapsed back into a giggling heap in one of the plush chairs.

" _Hi, Morgana! Hi, Keshet!_ "

Roxanne, sitting beside Albus, was next. In addition to signing with her hands, she spoke slowly and carefully. "My name is Roxanne Weasley, and I am bisexual. My pronouns are she/her."

" _Hi, Roxanne!_ " the others chorused and signed at the same time.

It was Albus's turn. Scorpius squeezed his damp hand in encouragement. He stood up, looking self-conscious and defensive.

"Er - my name is Albus Potter. I'm gay. My pronouns are he/him, I guess." He belatedly remembered to sign the words for his cousin's benefit, moving his hands awkwardly.

He sat back down, face red, as everyone chanted, " _Hi, Albus!_ "

Scorpius was last. He stood up. This was not so bad, coming out in front of fewer than a dozen people. It had been much scarier to stand on the Slytherin table the week before and declare Albus his boyfriend in front of the whole school. Still, he could not help feeling a little nervous.

"Hi.  _Dictatus_. My name is Scorpius Malfoy. I'm bisexual. My pronouns are he/him. And - um - I just wanted to say, thanks for inviting us."

" _Hi, Scorpius!_ "

Scorpius could not help grinning. He did not think anyone apart from Albus and his parents had ever sounded so pleased to see him. He sat down again and put his arm around Albus's tensed shoulders.

"This isn't so bad, is it?" he murmured.

Albus shrugged stiffly.

Kavi Singh stood up again. " _Dictatus_. Now that introductions are out of the way, this week Yann and Polly have offered to do a magical makeup tutorial for anyone who is interested in learning more about that."

"What d'you reckon?" said Scorpius. "Shall we get our colours done? It could be fun."

"I think you'll look ridiculous," said Albus, rolling his eyes.

Scorpius batted his eyelashes. "Why, Albus! I had no idea you felt so threatened by my beauty." He stood up. "I'm going to do it. At least come watch?"

Scorpius was waiting his turn, watching with interest as Fredericks and Chapman demonstrated makeup charms on Roxanne and Goldstein, when a hand tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to find Morgana Rosier looking up at him with determined friendliness.

"Hi," Scorpius said uncertainly. He had always found her a little intimidating, with her forthright personality, dyed black hair, and dramatic makeup.

"I wanted to say hello, in particular, and welcome you to the club," she informed him and Albus. "It's good not to be the only Slytherin anymore."

"Oh," said Scorpius. "Well ... thanks?"

"Some people think Slytherins are a bunch of homophobic bigots," Rosier continued imperiously. "I mean, yeah, some Slytherins are, but I don't think they're any more homophobic than any other House. Well, except maybe Hufflepuff," she acknowledged fairly, giving Edwards a nod. "Hufflepuff's always had a pretty good reputation for inclusiveness."

"Yeah, Slytherins are  _so accepting_ ," sneered Albus. "What d'you want, Rosier? Because I don't have my dad's autograph on me at the moment."

Rosier scowled, but did not back down. "I'm just trying to be  _friendly_ , Potter. Not that you'd know anything about that. There's no call to be rude. I was  _going_  to say that maybe we could sit together at meals sometimes. But if you're going to be a prick about it, then never mind."

"Let's not have any name-calling, Miss Rosier," said Professor Longbottom mildly from the corner, where he sat, reading a book.

Rosier visibly composed herself, closing her eyes briefly and exhaling through her nose. "I apologise, Potter. That was rude of me. Let's try this again. Would you two mind if I sit with you sometimes?"

"It's fine with me," said Scorpius quickly.

"Yeah, OK, I guess so," mumbled Albus. "Sorry. People are just usually - not so friendly."

Rosier smiled brightly. "Apology accepted. Friends?" She held out her hand.

Scorpius shook it without hesitation, and Albus reluctantly followed suit.

"Have things been OK for you, since you came out?" Rosier asked. "That was brilliant, what you did, by the way, coming out to the whole school. And best mates to boyfriends! That's so romantic! Kesh and I were best friends, too, before we started going out."

"Thanks," said Scorpius, turning pink. "It's been all right, I guess. Or at least, not too much worse than usual. Me and Albus have never been exactly popular. Especially not after ... what happened last year."

Their fellow Slytherins still held the two of them partly responsible for the death of Craig Bowker, who had been well-liked, and a prefect. They never talked about it, but Scorpius sometimes wondered whether Albus blamed himself for Bowker's death as much as Scorpius blamed himself.

Rosier frowned. "Yeah, I know. But you're one of us, now. Protego Club members look out for each other." She gave Scorpius a friendly pat on the arm.

Olivia Huang, who had been hanging back but listening intently, stepped nearer to join their conversation. "How are things in your dormitory?" she asked warily. "Are any of the other boys giving you trouble?"

"You mean like your boyfriend?" asked Albus pointedly. "Does he know?"

Huang gave him a sour look. "No. And I'll thank you not to say anything to him. I haven't decided if I want to tell him yet. Some blokes can be kind of ... weird about their girlfriends being bi."

"Selwyn has been all right," said Scorpius. "He's a decent bloke. Jenkins is an ass, but that's nothing new. I dunno about Zabini. He makes jokes sometimes, but he's not really nasty about it. I hope - if you ever do decide to tell him - that he'll be OK with it," he added hesitantly.

"Thanks," said Huang. "You always seemed like a decent bloke, Malfoy. Sorry we haven't really talked before now."

Scorpius's cheeks warmed. "Thanks." Was it possible that he might make two new friends in one day?

"Who's next?" called Fredericks as Roxanne got up from the chair beside them, cheeks glowing, lips a lush purplish colour.

"Me?" said Scorpius, raising his hand.

Fredericks waved him over with a cheeky smile and sat him down in the chair. "Hey, Malfoy. What would you like to learn about?"

"I dunno. How to look nice, I guess?"

"You already look nice," teased Fredericks, turning him to face a small floating mirror. "But with a little help, we could probably have your boyfriend swooning over your loveliness. Have you ever worn makeup before?"

"Some," Scorpius admitted shyly. "My mum used to let me play with hers. I liked the stuff with sparkles best."

"Well, you have very delicate colouring, so we probably shouldn't go too dramatic," said Fredericks. "But we can do something with glitter."

Fredericks explained a couple of simple Glamour charms, and then set to work conjuring different shades of pastel glitter.

While they worked, Scorpius asked hesitantly, "So ... what does 'nonbinary' mean, exactly?"

"Oh," said Fredericks, brushing some powder over Scorpius's cheeks, "it just means that the terms 'boy' and 'girl' don't really fit me. Sometimes I feel more like one than the other, and sometimes I feel like neither. That's actually called 'genderfluid'. But a lot of the time, I feel more like a girl, though not entirely."

"So, you're a ... witch, then?" ventured Scorpius, trying to understand.

"Actually, I prefer the term 'wix'," said Fredericks cheerfully. "It's gender-neutral."

"Wix," repeated Scorpius, committing the word to memory."But ... how does that work for dormitories and such?"

"They put me in the boys' dormitory in first year," said Fredericks, frowning at the memory. "I was miserable there, but I didn't really know why. I didn't know anything about being trans back then. I just knew that I didn't fit in. I was always more comfortable with girls than boys. Then one night last year, a bunch of my girlfriends had a sleepover party. I was devastated that I couldn't go, because the girls' dormitory boots out any boys who try to get in. I was so upset that I tried to go in anyway - and it let me. That's when I knew for sure that I wasn't really a boy after all. I talked to Professor Longbottom - he's head of Gryffindor, you know - and begged him to let me transfer. He talked to McGonagall, and after about a year of arguing back and forth between them, my parents, and the board of governors, they finally let me switch. I just moved in before Christmas."

"Wow," said Scorpius, trying not to move his lips as Fredericks brushed shiny gloss onto them. He felt a little envious, never having fit in comfortably anywhere, himself. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Fredericks beamed. "I've been loads happier since then. Plus, I get to room with my girlfriend, so that's great, too. As I'm sure you know." They winked at Scorpius, flashing shimmering blue eyeshadow at him.

Scorpius blushed. "Yeah. It's nice."

"We just started going out, Fredericks," said Albus tartly from somewhere over Scorpius's left shoulder. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

"All right, all right," said Fredericks, rolling their eyes. "I'm just teasing. I think we're done here. Have a look."

They turned Scorpius to face the mirror again. Scorpius blinked. He looked like himself, only with a touch more vibrant colour to his lips, cheeks, and eyelids. Glitter shimmered on his cheekbones and below the arch of each pale eyebrow.

"How do I look?" he asked, glancing up at his boyfriend shyly.

Instead of making a joke, or saying he looked ridiculous, Albus's expression softened. "You look nice."

"He looks better than 'nice'," said Fredericks. "Your boyfriend is gorgeous, Potter, and I can't take all the credit for that. You had better start telling him so, or he might find someone else who will."

Albus frowned, and for a moment, Scorpius thought he was going to say something rude to Fredericks. But instead, Albus looked Scorpius over, as if he were seeing him for the first time. He stepped closer, and brushed a thumb over Scorpius's shimmering cheek.

"Fredericks is right. You're gorgeous," Albus said softly. "I guess I never really thought about it. You always just looked like my best mate. That's not why I love you. But you are."

Warmth swelled inside Scorpius's chest as Albus's lips touched his.

There was a chorus of  _ooh_ s. Someone whistled. Albus stepped away, blushing, and ducked his head to hide from the circle of grinning faces.

"Better watch out, Keshgana," hooted O'Mannan. "You may not be the most sickeningly cute couple in the club anymore. Scorbus here might have you beat."

"What about you, Potter?" said Polly Chapman. "Do we get to give you a makeover, too?"

Albus hesitated. "Yeah, all right," he said, giving in.

He sat down and submitted to Chapman's ministrations, while she chatted happily about how the wide range of skin tones among the club members gave her an opportunity to experiment with a variety of different styles and looks.

At the end of the process, Albus frowned uncertainly into the mirror.

"I wanted to try something a bit different," said Chapman. "Your eyes are such a beautiful colour. I really wanted to bring that out with the eyeliner, and with your skin tone, I thought we should go darker on the lips, too."

"Don't you think he looks a bit ... goth, Polly?" asked Fredericks critically.

"No," Chapman scowled.

"I like it," declared Rosier. "It suits you, Potter."

Goldstein grinned and put an arm around her girlfriend. "Of course you like it. You  _are_  goth."

"So what?" shrugged Rosier. "He looks good. Maybe if more blokes bothered with makeup, I'd think some of them were hot, too."

Albus looked at Scorpius. "What do you think?"

"I dunno," said Scorpius. "It's a bit dramatic. You  _do_  have beautiful eyes, but you don't need makeup to see that. You always look good."

A smile split Albus's burgundy lips. "Queer."

Scorpius grinned. "If I am, I'm in excellent company here. You might as well call this the Room of Re _queer_ ment."

Albus snorted, a couple of people groaned, but several more laughed.

"They won't invite you back if they know about your terrible pun habit," teased Albus. "Now, how do I get this stuff off?"

Once Albus was cleaned up, they found seats on the sofa once more. Scorpius had opted to keep his new look, at least as long as they were safe in the Room of Requirement.

"I never knew about you trying on your mum's makeup," said Albus.

Scorpius shrugged. "I forgot about it, until today. I guess that's why I wanted to do it. It reminded me of how she and I used to have fun together, before ..."

"Yeah," said Albus, squeezing his hand. "I get it. You do look good, though. I'd snog you, but it seems antisocial in front of all these people."

Scorpius grinned. "Later?"

"Count on it."

"So ... are you glad you came?" Scorpius asked tentatively.

Albus pressed his lips together, considering. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Could we maybe do this again sometime?"

Albus nodded. "If you want to."

"Hey," said Roxanne, sitting down beside them. She moved her hands, and Albus signed briefly back to her, looking embarrassed.

"What did she say?" Scorpius asked.

"She says it's nice to have family in the club again."

Scorpius gave her a smile. "How do you say, 'I'm glad we came'?"

Albus showed him, and Scorpius copied the motions as closely as he could.

Roxanne grinned, and said something to Albus that made him blush. She winked at Scorpius and stood up.

"What did she say that time?" asked Scorpius.

"She said ... you're a keeper."

"But I don't even play Qui- oh." Scorpius's cheeks flushed. "Right. That kind of keeper."

"I could've told her that," said Albus, smiling at him fondly.

"I guess this means I have the approval of at least one person in your family," said Scorpius. "Only - what? - a hundred more to go?"

Albus laughed. "My family isn't  _that_  big."

"Still," Scorpius smiled, "it's nice to feel accepted."

"Yeah," said Albus pensively, looking down at their linked hands.

Scorpius's smile faded, and he peered closer at his boyfriend's downturned face. "Hey. Are you OK?"

Albus shook himself. "I'm fine. I'm just not used to - all this. People being friendly. And not because of who my dad is."

"I'm not used to it either," Scorpius reminded him. "But it's nice. I like it."

"I just can't help thinking -" said Albus hesitantly, "- none of them were ever nice to us before now. They wouldn't want to be friends with us if we weren't queer."

Scorpius thought about that for a moment.

"Maybe not," he said at last. "But maybe you and I wouldn't have been friends if you hadn't sat with me on the train that first day. Maybe you'd be in Gryffindor, and still be hanging out with Rose. Maybe you'd be on the Quidditch team. Maybe you'd be the most popular kid at Hogwarts."

"Don't be ridiculous," grumbled Albus.

"I'm not," said Scorpius. "Well, maybe a little. Look, I know I don't have a lot of experience to speak from, but it seems to me that friendship is all about having things in common and choosing who you want to spend your time with. You chose me because you decided to, not because I'd done anything special to deserve it. And after we chose each other, we never tried very hard to be friends with anyone else."

"Because they were all a bunch of prats," said Albus.

"Some of them," Scorpius acknowledged. "But not all. We could've had other friends, if we'd tried. And now we've found some people we have something in common with, and they're willing to be our friends, if we want. All we have to do is choose them."

"Maybe," said Albus reluctantly, toying with Scorpius's fingers. "But I  _like_  it when it's just me and you."

Scorpius gave him an affectionate smile. "So do I. And it will be still, most of the time. But maybe sometimes it would be nice if there were other people, too. Can we try?"

Albus pressed his lips together, and nodded reluctantly.

"All right everyone!" called Kavi Singh, standing up. " _Dictatus!_  Let's circle up. It's almost time to go. We need to do the pledge for our new members."

Scorpius and Albus exchanged puzzled looks as they stood to join the circle of club members. O'Mannan and Rosier, standing at Scorpius's right and left, took his hands, as Albus joined hands with Fredericks and Edwards, across the circle.

"I pledge -" began Singh, and the rest of the club joined in, "-  _to support and defend my fellow Protego Club members, and all other queer and gender non-conforming people, whether Wizard or Muggle; that they may always come to me in time of need, without fear of judgement; that I will be a friend to the friendless and a voice for the voiceless; and that I will use my strength and magic to be a force for good and a beacon of love and hope in the world._ "

They raised their linked hands above their heads, and shouted, " _PROTEGO!_ "

"And always remember," Singh finished, "what's said in Protego Club stays in Protego Club. Don't out anyone without their permission."

The circle broke apart. O'Mannan turned to Scorpius and shook his hand.

"I'm really glad you came, Malfoy," he said. "May I give you a hug?"

"Sure," said Scorpius, surprised.

O'Mannan pulled him into a quick, hard hug, and patted him on the back.

No sooner had O'Mannan released him, then Rosier was there, asking permission to hug him, too. As she did so, Scorpius looked over her shoulder to see Albus in similar condition with Chapman, while Fredericks and Roxanne waited their turn.

Albus looked overwhelmed, and Scorpius thought he knew exactly how he felt, as one after another, the members of Protego Club welcomed them with open arms.

He and Albus had always been the weird kids - the losers. But now, something had shifted. They had stumbled into community. Scorpius had never imagined this sort of belonging could be his, but now it was all around him.

He disengaged from Goldstein and hurried over to Albus, grinning.

"Albus! Isn't this brilliant?"

Albus turned towards him, wiping his eyes on his sleeve, blinking rapidly.

Scorpius drew up short. "Albus? Are you OK?"

Albus shook his head, and staggered into Scorpius's arms.

Scorpius caught his boyfriend, holding him tightly as Albus clung to him, sobbing into his shoulder. Other club members gathered around them, offering the support and comfort of their arms, until Scorpius and Albus were completely enclosed in the circle. Scorpius could not remember feeling so loved and so  _safe_  since his mother had died.

"I know. It's all right," he murmured to the lonely boy in his arms, his own heart overflowing with love. "I think things are going to get better now."


End file.
